COMPLEJO PELTETEC

Three lodges, formed in the late 19th _{century, played an important role in the lives of many men} in Lincoln and the surrounding district. These were the Antient Free and Accepted Masons, the United Ancient Order of Druids, and the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society. There is brief mention of an Orange Lodge seeking permission to use the library soon after it had been built, but there is no record that a lodge was formed in Lincoln.

The Druids and the Hibernians are friendly societies providing benefits for members because of illness, unemployment or bereavement; the Masons too, are concerned for their member’s welfare, but their guiding principles are those of integrity, goodwill and charity. This account is only a brief outline of their beginnings in Lincoln and for the most part is based on newspaper reports, and in the case of the Masons, a booklet published by the Lincoln Lodge in about 1962.

Antient, Free and Accepted Masons

On 8 October 1879 a group of men met at the Prebbleton Hotel to discuss the formation of a Masonic Lodge in the Lincoln area.1 _{Those present were members of existing lodges in Christchurch} and included at least two, J.C. Revell, Lincoln Station Master, and F.W. East, clerk to the Lincoln Road Board, who were living in the district at the time. Matters moved rapidly and on 28 January 1880 the new Lodge was consecrated in a ceremony held in the Lincoln school room, and was reported in the following terms2_{: This thriving district was enlivened by the arrival of forty Masonic} brethren…it being the day which the Right Worthy Bro. Thompson had fixed for the dedication of a Lodge to be called the Lincoln under the English Constitution. The Lodge, No. 1918, received its charter from the Grand Lodge of England, the ruling body for Freemasonry in New Zealand at the time. There were nine founding members, and of these A.R. Kirk was installed as the first Master, J.C. Revell Senior Warden, J.W. Anderson Junior Warden, F.W. East Senior Deacon, W.H. Comerford Junior Deacon and H. Chatteris Inner Guard. Representatives of Lodges attending the inaugural ceremony came from Akaroa, Ashburton, Christchurch, Kaiapoi, Lyttelton and Leeston.

44. Report of a new Lodge opened at Lincoln. Lyttelton Times. 30 January 1880. Courtesy of Papers Past.

For the first two years meetings were held in the school room, but in April 1882 the Lodge bought a section (Lot 13 Block IV), now 9 Maurice Street, where the local firm of D.W. Bartram and Company build a modest hall for about 200 pounds. These were difficult years and to help make ends meet the hall was let out to other organisations, such as the Druids, and for balls and dances, e.g. a Masonic Ball was held in the building under the patronage of Dr. and Mrs. Westenra and Dr. and Mrs J. Cooke and the “elite” of the district.3

Despite efforts to bolster funds the financial situation deteriorated so much that in 1893 Mr. East, a founding member and Past Master, took responsibility for the land and building, a situation which lasted for twenty years until the lodge was in a secure enough position to take control of its property. This original building remained in use until 1956 when the present hall was erected.

The first lodges in New Zealand were formed under the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of England, but it was not long before local Masons were involved in a national discussion regarding separation from England and the establishment of a Grand Lodge of New Zealand working under its own constitution to oversee the order in this country.4 _{This hotly debated issue, was supported} locally and in 1891 the Lincoln Lodge met for the first time as Lodge No. 33 under the New Zealand Constitution.

The founding members and a few others kept the Lodge alive during the difficult depression years of the late 19th _{century when resignations often outnumbered new members. Notable} among these was the above mentioned F.W. East and W.G. Jennings, bricklayer, who served the Lodge as a junior officer from the year of his initiation in 1880 until ill health forced his retirement in 1920. The lodge recognised his years of faithful service at a ceremony at which he was presented with a purse of sovereigns.5

The movement flourished during the first half of the 20th _{century, but the reverse was the case} in the second half when some lodges closed or amalgamated. However, the order remains strong and Lincoln Lodge No. 33 still holds its monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month and its installation meeting in October.

The Druids

In July 1880 a meeting was held in the schoolroom to discuss the possibility of forming a Druid’s Lodge in Lincoln.6 _{A working committee was set up and shortly afterwards an application for} authority to form a lodge in Lincoln was made to the Grand Lodge in Melbourne. This was not long in coming and on 24 August 1880 The Star of Anglesea Lodge No. 110 of the United Ancient Order of Druids was opened by the District President in the Lincoln schoolroom.7 _{At this meeting 35} members were initiated and officers for the coming year were elected. These included well known residents such as A.C. Bartram, Henry Meyenberg, Joseph Sluis and the local doctor, Dr. Guthrie, all of whom have been mentioned elsewhere. The Star of Anglesea Lodge prospered from the beginning, doubtless because its role as a benefit society in an era when social services were limited was an obvious advantage.

Druids in New Zealand, like the Masons, needed to control their own affairs, a need understood by the controlling body in Australia. In 1899 representatives of the Australian Grand Lodge

travelled to New Zealand to inaugurate the first Grand Lodge in New Zealand, and afterwards, whilst visiting Christchurch, constituted the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury on 2 December.8 The offices were filled by members of different lodges and one of these was J. Taylor of The Star of Anglesea.

The following year the Lincoln Lodge marked its tenth anniversary when members, wearing full regalia, were piped through the streets of Lincoln by torchlight, much to the interest and amusement of onlookers who were unused to such a spectacle! Afterwards the celebrations continued with a concert and ball in the Lincoln schoolroom, which according to the Star was a splendid occasion enlivened by song and music provided by locals and by visitors from Christchurch.9

Lodge members wanted to meet in their own rooms, but like the Masons they used the schoolroom as an interim measure, and then when the Masonic Hall was built they hired it for their regular meetings and the Town Hall for social functions until it was destroyed by fire. However, in 1883 John Wolfe bought two quarter acre sections on Gerald Street, (Lots 2 and 3 Block I), possibly on behalf of the lodge, but it was not until 1893 that Bartram and Company contracted to build a hall which became the usual venue for many public functions.

The Star of Anglesea Lodge provided its members with financial support as necessary, brotherhood, and the chance to socialise with fellow members at their meetings, concerts, dances and excursions and picnics whenever they could be arranged. They enjoyed convivial contacts with other friendly societies and on one occasion at least, in association with Ethelbert Lodge, Springston, hosted a social evening at Lincoln to which they invited members of other Druids lodges, Oddfellows lodges and the Roman Catholic Hibernian Lodge at New Headford.10 _The evening was enlivened with song, recitations, speeches and toasts and it was hoped that the bonds which existed between members of the different societies would be strengthened by such meetings. The Star of Anglesea flourished well into the 20th century, but as with many other societies went into serious decline in the second half of that century.

The Druids Hall was used by many groups over the years, but maintenance became a continuing burden and in 1931 the building was sold to a local committee whose task it was to renovate the building for use as a public facility.11 _{The new facility, the Community Centre served the district}

well for 50 years, but now, in the year 2011 a replacement, The Lincoln Event Centre, has been erected by Selwyn District Council on North Belt and an extension of William St.

The Hibernians

The Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society (H.A.C.B.S.) was firmly established in New Zealand by the time St. Patrick’s Lodge, No. 182, based at the Church of the Reparation on Shands Track, was formed in 1882. The origins of this benefit society were in Ballarat, Australia, which merged with two other Australian societies to become the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society. The first New Zealand lodge was formed in Greymouth in 1869 and others were soon established throughout the country catering for the welfare of its members.12 _{The Hibernian} lodges, like the Druids, provided financial support for members in need. An indication of the role the lodges played in their parishes is found in a New Zealand Tablet report of 10 February 1888 (Papers Past) when Bishop John Grimes arrived as the first Bishop of Christchurch. In an address of welcome Hibernian members addressed the Bishop as follows:13 _{My Lord, We, the officers and} brethren of St. Patrick’s branch, Christchurch, St. Patrick’s branch New Headford, and St. Patrick’s branch, Rangiora, of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society, desire with deep veneration and filial love to unite in wishing you, in the beautiful words of our mother tongue, a “Cead Mille Failthe”, upon your arrival at the seat of your adopted home. Ours is purely a Catholic Benefit society, and recognised by the laws of this colony, composed for the most part of Roman Catholics of Irish birth or descent, whose object it is to ‘cherish the memory of Ireland’, to provide the sick and needy members with sustenance and relief, to promote a healthy Catholic spirit amongst the members, attending Holy Communion at regular intervals in conformity with our laws.”

When St. Patrick’s Lodge was formed the question of Home Rule for Ireland was a major issue and to further this cause lodges actively supported those who were working towards this objective in Ireland. There are reports in The Tablet of speakers at picnics and other occasions reminding their listeners of the oppressive regime endured by their families and friends back home. Perhaps the memories of their past lives in Ireland and the problems still affecting the country at that time, explains why the Hibernian Lodges were not represented in the procession held in Christchurch to honour Queen Victoria’s silver jubilee.14 _{However, Hibernians were certainly loyal to their adopted} country and worked hard alongside neighbours to develop the necessary infrastructure to build a

healthy and prosperous community.15 _{Men who were prominent in St. Patrick’s Lodge and in the} development of Lincoln and the surrounding district included among their number P. Henley, M.F. Ryan, P. Ryan, and J. Doherty. The aims of the organisation were naturally well supported by the clergy for many of whom Ireland was “Home”.

Like many societies St. Patrick’s Lodge sometimes found it difficult to recruit members and on more than one occasion a speaker would encourage the young men of the parish to join. Not only would it be to their benefit, but membership would also provide the lodge with young and energetic recruits who would become leaders in the future. The Lodge not only organised dinners, picnics and dances for members and their families, but also supported the Roman Catholic school based at the Church of the Reparation at Shands Track.

The Hibernians at Shands Track prospered for many years, but by the late 20th _{century the} continuing evolution of our social services diminished the need for friendly societies and membership fell dramatically. The Lincoln Hibernians closed their lodge in 1971, and although the organisation still functions in New Zealand, the number of lodges, as with the Masons and the Druids, is very much reduced, either through closure or amalgamation.

Sources and notes

1. English Freemasonry in Canterbury, 1859 – 1959, J. Halstead 1959. 2. The Press 30 June 1880. See Papers Past.

3. Lyttelton Times. 1889. See Papers Past. 4. History of Lincoln Lodge No. 133.

5. Ellesmere Guardian 10 June 1916. See Papers Past. 6. The Press. 9 July 1880. See Papers Past.

7. Ibid. 26 August 1880. See Papers Past.

8. Star 3 December 1889. See Papers Past

9. Ibid 25 August 1890. See Papers Past

10. Ellesmere Guardian 26 July 1895. See Papers Past.

11. Lincoln Community Centre, 25years, 1961-1986; J. Habgood. 125

12. Faith and fraternisation, a history of the Hibernian Society, 1869 – 2000, R. Sweetman 2002. 13. The New Zealand Tablet 10 February 1888. See Papers Past.

14. Star 22 June 1867. See Papers Past

15. Ellesmere Guardian 25 July 1899. See Papers Past.